Toyota puts the Supra sports car on cruise control for its model year updates but announces the four-cylinder model is being axed due to slumping demand. All Supras will now be only available with the 3.0-liter inline six.
Toyota confirms that it’s axing the Supra four-cylinder model for 2025.
The Toyota Supra caused the world to take notice when it made its return in 2019. While its BMW underpinnings were controversial points of contention among Supra loyalists, the partnership was necessary to help Toyota bring the Supra back to life. The company did try to make it stand out by offering futuristic exterior styling and a coupe layout which was a stark contrast from its twin the droptop-only BMW Z4.
However, sales have been slowly declining, and while the Supra nameplate will continue to live on for 2025, Toyota confirmed that the Supra four-cylinder model will be axed after the 2024 model year comes to a close.
Supra four-cylinder’s exit reshapes the family tree.
The addition of a manual transmission to 3.0 models was popular with customers and this also caused demand for the 2.0 to collapse.
The Supra 2.0 was introduced in 2021 and was supposed to address criticism about the Supra’s high price tag. As the name implied, this version of the Supra swapped the 3.0-liter inline-six for a smaller 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder which was also borrowed from BMW. The smaller engine made 255 hp and allowed the Supra to make the sprint to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds which is a respectable time for a sports car. It also lowered the base price slightly to $47,535 which includes the $1,095 destination charge.
However, the model suffered from shifting demand when Toyota chose to add a six-speed manual to the 3.0 model. This addition caused many potential 2.0 buyers to move to these models instead and Toyota was paying attention to these developments when making their plans for the 2025 model year according to a statement from a Toyota spokesperson to CarScoops “To streamline the GR Supra grade strategy and align with customer demand, the 2.0L model will be discontinued for 2025. The addition of the manual transmission has shifted demand towards the more powerful 3.0L variants.”
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Pricing goes up
The 2.0’s exit caused Toyota to reshuffle the Supra model lineup which caused prices to go up for 2025.
The 2.0’s exit from the lineup will also cause prices to go up with the base 3.0 becoming the new gateway model for the nameplate. This rung swap on the model ladder raises the cost of admission by $9,800. This increase is on top of an existing price increase across the board for the 2025 model year and when you add that $850 bump to the equation, it adds up to a revised base price of $57,345 while the uplevel 3.0 Premium goes up to $60,495.
While that’s a gut punch for most wallets to bear, the 3.0 does come with a healthy amount of standard equipment including an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and adaptive suspension system, and an active rear differential. Premium models add more equipment including hazelnut-colored leather, a 12-speaker JBL premium audio system, and other minor add-ons. The pricing also includes a free one-year membership to the National Auto Sport Association and some of the direct perks that come with membership like discounted access to NASA events and the opportunity to attend a driving school to learn how to get the most out of their Supra.
What’s next?
The Supra is still facing challenges from multiple angles with segment pressures and the popularity of SUVs and CUVs eroding its sales away.
The 2025 updates also appear to indicate that Toyota is currently putting the Supra on figurative cruise control for its updates to perhaps see how sales play out in the long run. It’s no secret that sales for even the 3.0 models are slipping downwards and the SUpra has also faced renewed competition from rivals including the revamped Nissan Z which has managed to claw away large chunks of the Supra’s market share since it appeared on the scene a short while ago.
In addition to facing pressures from its segment, the Supra is also facing pressure from other vehicle segments with surging CUV and pickup demand putting stylish models like the Supra into niche territory with many automakers focusing the bulk of their sales efforts on those segments to boost their profits.
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